The Games They Played
by ZongXiong006
Summary: Video gaming was all Zella could do to get away from her problems, but she senses that everything she's known is about to change-but she could have never guessed the truth. Zella will learn just how far it will take to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil…and to find true love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.
1. Chapter 1

Ten years ago, on my seventh birthday, my father disappeared.

No, he didn't leave, leaving would imply suitcases and empty drawers, and the late birthday cards filled with ten-dollar bills stuffed inside. Leaving would imply he was unhappy with mother and me, or that he found a new love elsewhere. None of that was true. He also did not die, because we would have heard about it. There was no car crash, no body, no police mingling about the scene of a brutal killer. It all happened very quickly.

On my seventh birthday, my father took me to the park, one of my favorite places to go at the time. It was a lonely little park in the middle of nowhere, with a running trail and a misty green pond surrounded by pine trees. We were at the edge of the pond, feeding the ducks, when I hear the jingle of an ice cream truck in the parking lot over the hill. When I begged my father to get me a Fudgesicle, he laughed, handed me a few bills, and said he would catch up with me when I dashed off.

That was the last time I saw him.

Later, when the police searched the area, they discovered his shoes at the edge of the water, but nothing else. They sent divers into the pond, but it was barely ten feet down, and they found nothing but branches and mud at the bottom. My father…disappeared without a trace.

For months afterward, I had reoccurring nightmares about standing on top of that hill, looking down and seeing my father walk into the pond. As the water closed over his head, I could hear the ice cream truck singing in the background, a slow, eerie song with no words I could almost understand. Every time I tried to listen to them, however, I would wake up.

Not long after my father's disappearance, my mother began drinking and gambling. She would come home with different behaviors, one day coming home with a present for me and the happiest smile on her face, but most days, she would just tell me to go to my room. Eventually, my mother couldn't afford to pay for anything. She gambled away all our savings money and borrowed from banks and the wealthy. When she was thrown in jail, my aunt took me under her wing and we moved out to a tiny hick town in the middle of the Louisiana bayou. I always knew deep down, my mother was drinking to get away from something.

It would be ten years before I discovered what.

My name…is Zella Lucious.

In less than twenty-four hours, I'll be seventeen years old. My sweet sixteen wasn't as great as I planned. It was suppose to be the age when girls become princesses and fall in love and go to dances and proms and such. Countless stories, songs, and poems have been written about that age, but not mine. I was almost seventeen years old.

I knew it wouldn't be that way for me.

The morning before my birthday, I woke up, showered and rummaged through my dresser for something to wear. Normally, I'd just grab whatever was clean-ish on the floor, but today was special.

I was new to Sweet Amoris still, but there was someone who had caught my eye.

Today was the day Castiel Valentino would finally notice me. I wanted to look perfect. My wardrobe was average, it wasn't dainty or lacking of popular attire, but I had nice clothes. _Well, I guess Castiel will have to be wowed with my natural grace and charm, unless I don't make an idiot of myself in front of him._

I finally slipped into a nice pair of blue skinny jeans, a white tank top under a gold and red flowered shirt with a white laced cardigan, before dragging a brush through my jet black hair. My hair is straight and thick, unlike some girls with very fine hair that did that floating thing where it looked like they jabbed their finger into an electrical outlet. It was also long, almost down to my waist. Fixing a headband into my hair I went downstairs.

Ethan, my new 'uncle', sat the table, drinking coffee and leafing through the morning newspaper, which reads more like our high school gossip column than a real news source. "Five legged calf born on Patterson's farm," It screamed; you get the idea. "Where's Auntie?" I asked, opening the cabinet doors, Ethan ignored me and sipped his coffee.

I scoured the boxes of cereal for the one I liked, wondering if my Aunt remembered to pick it up.

Of course she hadn't.

Nothing but fiber squares and disgusting raisin bran. Was it so hard to remember Coco Pebbles? "Where did Auntie go?" I asked, a bit louder this time. Ethan jerked his head form the newspaper and finally lookd at me. His lazy brown eyes, like those of a cow, registered a mild surprise. "Oh, hello, Zelda." He said calmly. Ethan always called me Zelda, it was close to Zella, but I wasn't that helpless elf princess.

I sighed a repeated my question for the third time.

"She went to an early quilting club today so you have to take the bus to school." He murmured, retreating back to his paper. "She won't be back for another few hours."

I always took the bus. I just wanted to remind Auntie that she was supposed to take me to get my driver's permit this weekend. With Ethan, it was hopeless. I could tell him something fourteen different times and he'd forget the moment I left the room. It wasn't that Ethan was malicious, or even stupid, but Auntie seemed truly happy with him but every time I spoke to him, he would look at me with genuine surprise, as if he'd forgotten I lived here too. I grabbed a bagel from the top of the fridge and chewed it, keeping an eye on the clock. Alistair, our Egyptian Mau, wandered in and rubbed against my legs. I kneeled down and scratched behind his ears and he purrs happily. I loved this cat.

"Hey, Ethan, I bet you can't guess what tomorrow is." I say with a smile on my face. "Hmmm?" He didn't look up from his paper. "I don't know, Zel. If you have plans for tomorrow, discuss it with your aunt." He says and that struck me angrily. I knew it. Auntie and Ethan would completely forget my birthday tomorrow. I wouldn't get a card, or a cake, or even a "happy birthday" from anyone.

Back in my room, I grabbed books, homework, gym clothes and the Ipod I spent a year saving up for, despite Ethan's disdain of those "useless, brain-numbing gadgets."

Ethan dislikes technology and acts as if it was still the eighteenth century, but I was glad my aunt let me bring my Xbox to entertain me, it was the only thing that kept me sane. I loved video gaming. I loved video gaming so much that sometimes, I wished my life would become something as amazing as those games.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a gloomy grey and uncomfortable cloudy day. The spring rain would be approaching soon and I didn't like rain much. I stood under a cypress tree, waiting for the bus to arrive._ I wonder where Armin is_. I mused, gazing down the road. _He's usually here by now_. I snorted and rolled my eyes. _Skipping class again, huh? Wish I could do that_.

If only I had a car. I knew kids whose parents gave_ them_ cars for their birthdays. Me, I'd be lucky enough to get a cake. Most of my classmates already had licenses and could drive themselves to clubs and parties and anywhere they wanted. I was always left behind, the backward girl whose mother went to jail selling her body for money to gamble off and drinking hard liquor. Nobody wanted to invite someone like that. The thought disgusted me. A dominant part of me hated my mother.

_Except Armin._ I amended with a small mental shrug. _At least Armin will remember. Wonder what kooky thing he has planned for my birthday tomorrow?_ I could almost guarantee it would be something strange or crazy. Last year, he snuck me out of the house for a midnight picnic in the woods. It was weird; I remember the glen and the little glistening pond with the fireflies drifting over it, but though I explored the woods behind my house countless times since then, I never found it again.

Something rustled in the bushes behind me. A possum or a deer, or maybe even a fox. The wildlife out here was stupidly bold and had little fear of humans. A branch snapped in the trees, closer this time. I shifted uncomfortably, determined not to turn around for some stupid squirrel or raccoon. I'm not like "Inflate-a-boob" Angie, Ms. Perfect Cheerleader, who'd flip out if she saw a caged gerbil pr a speck of dirt on her Hollister jeans. I've come faced to face with dragons and hordes of demons, led the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary wars as an assassin, I've teleported through time…okay maybe none of those, but wild animals didn't scare me.

Still, I stared down the road, hoping to see the bus turn the corner. Maybe it was my sick imagination from playing too much Slender, but the woods felt like the set for _The Blair Witch project._

_There are no wolves or serial killers out here_, I told myself. _Stop being paranoid._

The forest was suddenly quiet. I leaned against the tree and shivered uncomfortably, trying to will the bus into appearing. I chill ran up my spine. I wasn't alone. Cautiously, I craned my neck up.

An enormous black bird perches on a branch, feathers spiked out sitting as motionless as a statue. As I watched, it turned it's head and met my gaze, with eyes as blue as a clear cloudless sky.

And then, something reached around the trees and grabbed me.

I screamed and leaped away, my heart hammering in my ears, whirling around I tensed to run, my mind filled with rapists and murderers and Jason from Friday the 13th.

Laughter exploded from behind me.

Armin Rainsford, my closest neighbor-meaning he lived a mile away-slouched against the tree trunk, gasping with mirth. Lean and tall, in fashionable clothing consisting of a black scarf around his shoulders, a pearl colored shirt with long sleeves rolled up to his elbows with a brown undershirt, a navy blue vest, blue Abercrombie & Fitch jeans and black loafers, not to mention the various bracelets on his left wrist. He paused to look up at my pale face, then bursts into laughter.

"D***** Armin!" I raged, stomping up and aiming a kick at him. He dodges and stumbles into the road, his face red from laughter. "That wasn't funny you idiot! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"S-Sorry, Princess." Armin gasps, clutching his chest as he sucked in air. "It was just too perfect" he gave a final chortle and straightened, holding his ribs. "Man, that was impressive, you must have leaped three feet in the air. What, did you think I was, Leatherface of something?"

"Of course not, stupid." I turned away with a huff to hide my flushing face. "And stop calling me that name, I' not ten anymore."

"Sure thing, Princess."

Armin was a funny and nice guy, but sometimes he acted like a four-year old. His black hair was always styled neatly and his light blue eyes twinkled brilliantly, especially when he was excited. The bus came by for finally and we made our way to the back seats like always.

Sometimes I think Armin couldn't be from this world, yet here he is.

"What are you doing after school?" Armin asks as we huddled in the far back seat. Around us, students talked, joked laughed, and generally paid no attention to us. "Wanna grab some chips or coffee later? Or we could go by Gamestop and rent a video game we could vs. in."

"I can't today, Armin. I'm tutoring someone after class so you'll have to find a game on your own."

His ice blue eyes narrowed. "Tutoring someone? Who?" My stomach flutters and I tried not to grin. "Castiel Valentino."

"What?" Armin's lip curled in a grimace of disgust. "The jockstrap? Why, does he need you to teach him how to read?" I scowled at him. "Just because he's being who he is doesn't mean you have to be a jerk. Or are you jealous?" I retaliated.

"Oh, of course that's it." He sneers. "I've always wanted an IQ of a rock. No, wait, that would be an insult to the rock." He snorted. "I can't believe you're going for that guy, you can do better princess."

"Don't call me that, and it's a tutoring lesson, it's not like he's going to ask me to prom." I hide my flushing face. "Right" He scowled, unconvinced. "He's_ not_, but you're_ hoping_ he will. Admit it, you're drooling over him just like every other air headed cheerleader on campus."

"So what if I am?" I snapped, spinning around. "It's not your business, Armin. What do you care anyway?"

He got very quiet, muttering something under his breath that was unintelligible to me. I turned my back to him and stared out the window. I didn't care what Armin said. This afternoon, one glorious hour, Castiel valentine would be mine alone, and no one would distract me from that.


	3. Chapter 3

School dragged. The teachers all spoke nonsense and gibberish and the clock seemed to be moving backwards. The afternoon crept in like a daze. Finally, finally, the last bell rang; freeing me from the endless torture of X equals Y problems.

_Today is the day._ I told myself as I maneuvered through the crowded hallways, keeping to the edge of the teeming mass. Wet sneakers squeaked over the tile and a miasma of sweat and body odor hung thick in the air. Nervousness fluttered inside of me. _You can do this. Don't think about it. Just go in and get it over with._

Dodging students, I wove my way down the hall and peeked into the computer room.

There he was, sitting on one of the desks with his feet propped up on a chair. Castiel Valentino, quarter-back of the Sweet Amoris Spartans. Gorgeous Castiel, King-of the-school Castiel. He wore a red and black letterman jacket that showed off his broad chest, and his once black, now dyed red, hair brushed the top of his collar.

My heart pounded hard. _A whole hour in the same room as Castiel Valentino, with no one to get in the way._ Normally, I could never get close to Castiel; he was either surrounded by Amber and her cheerleader groupie or his football buddies. Other students were in the Computer lab with us, but they were the major academic types that exceeded my own knowledge of Computer programming, beneath Castiel Valentino's notice. The jocks and cheerleaders wouldn't be caught dead in here if they could help it.

I take a deep breath and stepped into the room.

He didn't glance at me when I walked up beside him. He lounged in the chair with his feet up and his head back, tossing an invisible ball across the room. I cleared my throat. Nothing. I cleared it again a bit louder. Still nothing.

I suck in an irritated breath of air and built up the courage to step in front of him, waving.

His slate-cloudy grey eyes finally jerked up to mine. For a moment he looked startled. Then he raised a lazy eyebrow, as if he couldn't figure out why I wanted to talk to him._ Uh-oh, say something Zella. Something intelligent._ "Um…" I stammered. "Hello, I'm Zella. I sit behind you in computer class." He was still giving me that blank stare and I felt my cheeks getting hot, my hands shook nervously and I clasped them tighter around my books.

"Um…I think you're an amazing quarterback. I think you really know what you're doing. I go to all your games, you know? I'm usually in the back, so you probably don't see me."_ Oh god, Zella. Just stop. Shut up _now. I clomped my mouth shut to stop the incessant babbling, wanting to crawl in a hole and die. What was I doing agreeing to this? Better to be invisible than to look like a total moron, especially in front of Castiel!

He blinked lazily, reached up and pulled out an earphone from his ear. "Sorry babe." He drawled in that wonderful, deep voice of his. "I couldn't hear you." He gave me an once-over and smirked. "Are you supposed to be the tutor?"

"Y-Yes" I straightened and smoothed out my remaining shreds of dignity. "I'm Zella, Mr. Faraize asked me to help you out with your computer programming project."

He continued to smirk at me. "Aren't you that hick girl who lives out in the swamp? Do you even know what a computer is?"

My face flamed red from being criticized. _Did…he seriously say that?_ My stomach contracted into a tight little ball. In the face of Castiel's criticism, I worked up enough courage to reply back.

"I-I don't have the greatest computer at home, but-but I know enough! And yes I know what I computer is." He gave me a dubious look and I felt a sting of wounded pride. "Here, I-I'll show." I had to prove to him I wasn't some backward random chick he thought I was.

Something weird happened when I reached for the keyboard however. The computer screen blinked on even though I didn't touch anything. Words scrolled on the screen all of a sudden.

_Zella Lucious. We see you. We are coming for you._

The words kept going and going across the computer screen.

"What is this?" He asked, scowling. "What the h*** are you doing, freak?" I pushed him aside to take control of the mouse, shaking it and punching Escape, and pressed Ctrl/Alt/Del to stop the endless string of words.

Nothing worked.

The words continued, but without a warning, they stopped.

Then in giant letter, another messaged popped up saying:

CASTIEL VALENTINO PEEKS AT BOYS IN THE SHOWER ROOMS, ROFL

I gasped and stepped away from the computer in shock, seeing the message pop up on the other computers. The students paused in confusion, then turned around and pointed fingers at Castiel and laughed at him.

I could feel knives in my back form his glare and I slowly turn to him. His face was beet red from anger or embarrassment and he jabbed a finger at me. "You think that's funny swamp girl? _Do you?! _Just you wait; I'll show you what's funny. You just dug your own grave, B****" He stormed out of the room with the echo of laughter following him.

A few of the students applauded and gave me a thumbs-up, one of them even winked at me.

My knees shook and I collapsed into the nearest chair, staring at the screen in disbelief. The screen faded black, taking the offensive message with it, but the damage had already been done. My stomach twisted and roiled and there was a stinging sensation behind my eyes.

I buried my face in my hands._ I'm so dead. I'm so…so dead. That's it, game over, Zella. I wonder if Auntie will let me move to a boarding school in Canada?_

A faint snicker cut through my bleak thoughts, and I raised my head.

Crouched atop the monitor, silhouetted black against the open window was a tiny, misshapen [i]thing[/i]. Spindly and emaciated, it had long, thin arms and huge bat-like ears. Slitted red eyes regarded me across the table, gleaming with intelligence. It grinned, showing off a mouthful of yellow razor sharp teeth before it vanished, like an image on the computer screen.


End file.
